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Zimmerman a 'Manipulator,' But Out of Jail Again

By Andrew Lu on July 06, 2012 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

For the second time in about three months, George Zimmerman is walking free from jail after posting bail.

As you probably know, the 28-year-old Zimmerman is standing trial for killing teenager Trayvon Martin. As criminal defendants are innocent until proven guilty, Zimmerman was given the opportunity to show why he should be out free during his trial despite the serious allegations.

What makes George Zimmerman's jail release particularly intriguing is that Zimmerman had already posted bail months ago. Then he had it revoked after a judge felt that Zimmerman was withheld information about his finances and tried to "manipulate" the system, reports Bay News 9.

In April, Zimmerman was given a $150,000 bail amount that he quickly posted. Then the Florida judge discovered that Zimmerman was sitting on about that same amount in donations and contributions to his defense fund, and revoked Zimmerman's bail.

Generally, bail is set at an amount where it would discourage the defendant from fleeing. If bail is set too low (relative to the defendant's assets), a defendant may consider fleeing. So after deciding that Zimmerman was not forthright about his finances, the Florida judge ordered Zimmerman back to jail. He had some harsh words for the defendant, calling him a manipulator, and then raised Zimmerman's bail to $1,000,000.

Still, you should know that the high bail amount and the amount that Zimmerman actually pays is different. Typically, a bail bond company will pay the defendant's bail for a fee, so long as the defendant pays 10% himself. The bail bond company will want collateral for the remaining amount. In Zimmerman's case, he had to come up with $100,000 himself and provide enough collateral for the remaining $900,000. There had been some question as to whether a bond company would be satisfied with Zimmerman's assets to lend the $900,000, but he must have found a willing lender as he walked out of jail Friday.

According to George Zimmerman's bail conditions, while he can leave jail, he will be required to have electronic monitoring, be unable to leave Seminole County, have to check in with officials every 48 hours, be unable to drink alcohol, and be home by 6:00 p.m., reports Bay News 9.

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